Ortona

Ortona is a coastal town on limestone cliffs above the Adriatic in Chieti province, divided historically into the Terravecchia and Terranova districts, with the older Terravecchia of Roman origin. The town's landmarks include the 15th-century Aragonese Castle, the Cathedral of San Tommaso (which has held the relics of the apostle Saint Thomas since the 13th century), and the Palazzo Farnese. Ortona was heavily damaged during the Second World War's Battle of Ortona (December 1943), when Canadian and British Commonwealth forces fought German troops street by street; the nearby Moro River Canadian War Cemetery honors the roughly 1,615 Commonwealth soldiers, mostly Canadian, who died in the fighting. Today Ortona also marks the northern starting point of the Costa dei Trabocchi, the stretch of Adriatic coastline known for its traditional wooden stilt fishing platforms (trabocchi), several of which now operate as seafood restaurants.

Ortona has its own station on the Adriatic rail line with regional services to Pescara (about a 1-hour train journey) and points south. By road, it's reached via the A14 motorway's Ortona exit, roughly 25 km south of Pescara (about a 40-minute drive).

The historic Terravecchia district is walkable; the Costa dei Trabocchi to the south is best explored by car or bike along the coast road.

• Castello Aragonese: a 15th-century Aragonese castle built to defend the town from naval attack, now housing a War Museum on the Battle of Ortona and WWII.
• Cathedral of San Tommaso: holds the relics of the apostle Saint Thomas, with a bronze statue of the saint rising from the harbor waters nearby.
• Palazzo Farnese: houses the Basilio and Michele Cascella art gallery.
• Moro River Canadian War Cemetery: the Commonwealth war cemetery honoring soldiers who died in the Battle of Ortona.
• Museo della Battaglia and other town museums (Museo Civico, Museo Diocesano, Museo Musicale Tostiano).
• Costa dei Trabocchi: the coastal stretch of traditional wooden stilt fishing platforms beginning at Ortona and running about 45 km south.

Visit the Aragonese Castle's War Museum, tour the historic center's churches and palazzi, pay respects at the Moro River Canadian War Cemetery, and explore the Trabocchi Coast.

Several trabocchi along the coast south of town operate as seafood restaurants, serving fresh catch from the platforms themselves.

Pescara (about 25 km north, roughly 40 minutes by road) · the Costa dei Trabocchi towns to the south · other towns of Chieti province.